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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26146276">Sprintin'</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaicubed/pseuds/jaicubed'>jaicubed</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Youtubers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Grethan, M/M, Road Trips</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:00:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,892</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26146276</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaicubed/pseuds/jaicubed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ethan and Grayson take the Sprinter - and their new relationship - on the road across America. </p><p>Cross-posted on my Wattpad (@femmegrayson)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ethan Dolan/Grayson Dolan, Ethan Dolan/Kristina Alice (mentioned)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Roach, Nevada</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>"I can't fucking believe this," Ethan sighed, more defeated than angry.  He crossed his arms and looked up at the sky. "You think this is funny, don't you?"</p><p>It <em>was</em> kind of funny, in a sick sort of way. Like when a turtle or a beetle got stuck on its back, arms flailing, trying to turn itself over.</p><p>"Maybe it's a punishment," Grayson said. It was the first time he had spoken in the past twenty minutes, and his voice was an eerie monotone. Probably shock. "You know..for our sins."</p><p>"I think if God wanted to punish us for fucking, it would be something more than a minor inconvenience," Ethan replied, rolling his eyes. "Something with fire. Brimstone. Whatever the fuck that is."</p><p>Grayson looked at Ethan incredulously. "You think this is a <em>minor inconvenience</em>?"</p><p>"I mean, yeah. Nothing's really wrong with the van. We were going too slow to do any real damage. It's just...sideways." Ethan shrugged. He gestured to the Sprinter, indeed on its side, halfway out of a shallow ditch. "It can withstand alot. Once the tow truck comes, we'll take it to the shop, have it looked over, and then we'll be on our way."</p><p>Grayson ran a hand down his face and shook his head. "Christ, Ethan. We've only been on the road for three and a half hours, and we've already been in an accident - which was <em>your</em> fault by the way - and as usual, you aren't taking it seriously."</p><p>"<em>My</em> fault? It's not my fault you're a terrible fucking driver," Ethan argued, flicking Grayson on the shoulder.</p><p>"Maybe I wouldn't have been driving <em>terribly</em> if you-"</p><p>The flashing of lights caught Grayson's eye, and he cut himself off, turning to look at the road.</p><p>"Finally," Ethan muttered, watching the police cruiser pull off on the side of the road. The red and blue lights were especially jarring, considering they had been staring at a very beige desert for the past thirty minutes. Ethan blinked.</p><p>"Good morning, boys," the officer said as he approached. "Well, maybe not so good, eh?"</p><p>The officer laughed at his joke, which prompted a fit of hacking. The man had to be at least 100 years old, his skin wrinkled and sun-damaged, hair totally gray, his moustache growing into his nose. Didn't they put cops out to pasture when they were too old, like horses?</p><p>"I'm Officer Martinez.  Tow truck is on its way with the man power to get this thing flipped over, but I still gotta take a report. You mind answering a few questions?"</p><p>Grayson swallowed nervously. "Yeah...sure, no problem."</p><p>Officer Martinez took down their information, got licenses, and registration, and Ethan and Grayson dragged it out as long as they possibly could, hoping the old man's dementia would kick in before he asked the <em>real</em> question...</p><p>"So, how did this happen, boys?" Officer Martinez peered into the ditch. "Doesn't look like you were going too fast. Seem pretty sober. You texting on those damn phones or something? Get a little distracted?"</p><p>"Yes, officer, he was texting," Ethan said quickly. "I told him to pay attention, but he veered off the road."</p><p>Grayson gave him the evil eye, and Ethan's jaw clenched in a "we'll-talk-about-this-later" warning to keep him quiet.</p><p>"Coulda been a lot worse. But could been a lot better, too." The officer laugh-hacked again. "The important thing is that you two are alright."</p><p>"Yeah, just some bumps and bruises," Ethan replied, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head where it had hit the steering wheel. "We'll be okay."</p><p>The officer asked them a few more questions, fortunately not pressing for too many specific details.</p><p>"Well, hate to add salt to the wound, but I'm gonna have to write you a ticket for reckless driving," Officer Martinez said. He shrugged sympathetically. "Wish I could just give you a warning, but a vehicle flipping over is a big deal."</p><p>"We understand," Ethan said. The tow truck was in the distance, and for the first time in an hour, he felt his asshole unclench. This trip was <em>not</em> supposed to be stressful.</p><p>The tow truck flipped the van over, and $1000 worth of "repairs" later by a very enterprising mechanic, they made their way to Las Vegas.</p><p>"Christ, this is nice," Ethan said, dropping his bag at the foot of one of the twin beds. They'd gotten a room at the Bellagio, already breaking their rule of spending every night in the van. But after the day they'd had...it seemed necessary.</p><p>"More than you deserve," Grayson grumbled, pushing Ethan to the side so he could pass.</p><p>"Hey, we made out okay, didn't we?" Ethan replied, gesturing to their tastefully decorated luxury room.</p><p>"Well, maybe you did, but now I have a $500 ticket for reckless driving and a point on my license," Grayson reminded him, his eyes narrowing in anger. "Thanks for putting the blame on me by the way, you fucking asshole. But as usual, I'm the one paying for your mistakes."</p><p>"Again, not my fault you're a terrible driver," Ethan responded calmly. He knew Grayson was right and it <em>was</em> his fault, but he'd die on this hill. He had his annoying brother reputation to uphold.</p><p>"I'm sorry, was I sucking <em>my own</em> dick in a moving vehicle?"</p><p>"Wouldn't put it past you," Ethan said flippantly. He could have laughed at the murderous glare on Grayson's face, but at this point he was worried about getting beaten to a pulp. "Kidding."</p><p>"Fuck you, Ethan."</p><p>"Hey, I was just trying to be nice and start our road trip off on the right foot, and you didn't tell me to stop. Was it a great idea in theory? Yes. Was it a great idea in practice?" Ethan shrugged. "You tell me."</p><p>"Obviously not, Ethan, the fucking van flipped over," Grayson snapped.</p><p>"Yes, but it flipped over because you were distracted by how good my head game was," Ethan said triumphantly.</p><p>"Actually, I was distracted because you scraped me with your teeth," Grayson replied. He stood up and shoved Ethan again, making him fall on the bed. "I'm going to take a shower and get this fucking disaster of a day off my body."</p><p>"You're lying," Ethan argued, but without the confidence he'd had a moment earlier. Maybe he'd mistaken Grayson's moan of pain for a moan of pleasure. The seconds before they went off the road were understandably hazy. "I was good."</p><p>"Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night." Before Grayson could slam the bathroom door, Ethan scrambled off the bed and forced his way in.</p><p>"Get the fuck out, E. I really don't want to at you for the rest of the night."</p><p>"Let me make it up to you. In the shower." Ethan clasped his hands together like he was praying. "Please. It will be good, I promise. Much safer."</p><p>"I can still slip and crack my head open on the tile," Grayson shot back, but Ethan could see exhaustion taking its toll and his anger starting to dissipate.</p><p>"That could happen any time you take a shower," Ethan reasoned. "I think the benefits outweigh the risk."</p><p>Ethan didn't know if Grayson was doing his own cost-benefit analysis or coming up with ways to murder him, but after a moment of staring up at the ceiling, Grayson looked at Ethan, resigned. "Fine."</p><p>"That's the spirit."</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Monticello, Utah</h2></a>
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</p><p>Ethan absentmindedly rubbed sunscreen into his thighs, his eyes on the family fifty yards away. While Lloyds Lake didn't necessarily have a "beach" in the traditional sense, they had found a peaceful grassy spot near the swimming area to put their towels down. It was a beautiful day and the scenery was stunning - lush green trees, tall grasses, a clear, sparkling lake. </p><p>Of course, Ethan had to ruin it. </p><p>"Do you think they're Mormons?" Ethan asked, his voice hushed even though there was no way the family could hear him anyway. He nodded towards the family. "I think they're Mormons."</p><p>"Are you going to ask me that about every fucking person we see in this state?" Grayson huffed. "Not everyone in Utah is a Mormon. And even if they were, who cares?"</p><p>"I <em>don't</em> care. I just need to know." </p><p>"Well, I can't identify Mormons by sight, so stop asking me." Grayson looked towards the water, then back at Ethan, slightly exasperated. "Are you ready yet? I'm dying to get in the water."</p><p>"Do my back," Ethan ordered, shoving the bottle of sunscreen in Grayson's face. "Especially over my tattoo. It's bad if they get sunburned."</p><p>Grayson snatched the bottle out of Ethan's hand and squirted a generous amount onto Ethan's back.</p><p>"Ow, gentle, gentle," Ethan chastised after Grayson started to rub the lotion on in a weirdly aggressive way. "More Swedish massage, less deep tissue."</p><p>Ethan ignored the following colorful comments from Grayson and glanced back at the possibly-Mormon family. "Did you know that there are Mormons in Australia?"</p><p>"Fascinating." Grayson capped the bottle and tossed it onto the towel. "You're done, come on."</p><p>"Kristina told me that she went to school with a bunch of them. There's a huge temple in Brisbane," Ethan continued, following Grayson to the edge of the shore. "She said they were surprisingly chill."</p><p>"Can we stop talking about Mormons?" Grayson snapped, testing the water with his foot. "I just want to swim."</p><p>Despite it being the middle of July and quite toasty, the water wasn't super pleasant. Grayson dove in anyway, hoping he'd adjust. </p><p>"It isn't great, but it's not bad," Grayson said when he surfaced, pushing his wet hair back off his face. "Just go in quick and get it over with."</p><p>"Do you remember how warm the water was in Brisbane? Like bath water," Ethan recalled, looking wistfully into the distance. "Man, I wish I was there now."</p><p>"So do I. But we're not, so suck it up. Come on." Grayson went under again, the water feeling less frigid and more refreshing by the second. He heard a splash next to him, and when he came up again, Ethan was floating beside him.</p><p>"Speaking of Australia, I'm Skyping with Kristina tonight at 9. So...I'll need the van for like an hour," Ethan said. "Privacy and all that."</p><p>"Where the fuck am I supposed to go for an hour?" Grayson asked. He wanted to punch the smirk off Ethan's face. </p><p>"You can go hang out with the other people in the RV park," Ethan suggested. "I remember seeing a badminton net."</p><p>"The other people in the RV park are like 80, Ethan. They all probably go to bed at 6pm." Grayson shook his head. Anger and some other emotion were bubbling up inside his chest. He chose to focus on the anger. "I can't believe you're going to kick me out of my own van to jerk off over Skype."</p><p>"It's not jerking off, it's cybersex," Ethan explained blandly, like he was describing the weather. "Look, I'd do the same for you if you had a girlfriend."</p><p>"Well, I don't have one, and neither should you," Grayson responded bitterly. He started swimming further out, hoping Ethan wouldn't follow. This wasn't exactly a conversation he wanted to have in the middle of a lake. Unfortunately, Ethan always did exactly what he didn't want him to do.</p><p>"Jealousy doesn't look good on you, Gray." They were far enough out now that they had to stand on their tip toes to keep their heads above water. "I think you need to journal about this."</p><p>"Oh, fuck off. I'm not jealous. I just think that maybe your girlfriend deserves better," Grayson shot back. The statement was half true. He was <em>definitely</em> jealous, but deep down he liked Kristina and didn't think that Ethan was being fair to her, considering...everything.</p><p>"I'm a fantastic boyfriend," Ethan argued. "Sure, long distance sucks, but we're both putting in an effort."</p><p>"You know what also sucks? Your dumb mouth. On my dick. Frequently." Grayson knew it was a low blow, but it had to be said, didn't it? "How many fantastic boyfriends do you know that do that?"</p><p>Ethan didn't have a comeback for that - how could he? - so Grayson swam out further, gunning for a large rock on the other side of the swimming area. Ethan didn't follow this time. </p><p>He was breathing hard by the time he reached the boulder, hauling himself up to sit on the edge. The possibly-Mormon family was packing up their stuff, and one of the littlest kids waved to him before following his family towards the parking lot. He smiled in spite of various negative feelings occupying his brain and waved back. </p><p>He'd suggested this trip to distract himself from those negative feelings. They weren't filming a single bit of it - it was purely an emotional exercise. But the workout already seemed way too intense, and they'd only been on the road for two and a half days. </p><p>Maybe he did have to journal.</p><p>***</p><p>The best thing about the RV park was that there were showers.</p><p>As promised, after an unsatisfying dinner of microwaveable vegan food from a woefully understocked grocery store, Ethan kicked Grayson out of the van. </p><p>The hadn't spoken much since the lake, so Grayson's anger had been festering for the past several hours. Once he was sexiled, it went up a few more notches. </p><p>The park was dead, as Grayson had expected. He discovered a playground in the middle of the park, complete with monkey bars, and decided that it was the perfect time for a workout. Two hours passed in the blink of an eye, and by the time he managed to get under the weak spray of one of the ancient park showers, he was exhausted.</p><p>He'd spent his workout alternating between anger, jealousy, and arousal, all which served to make him push harder and harder. He didn't really think about anything, or attempt to make something tangible out of the raw energy bubbling inside him. What was the point? </p><p>When he returned to the van, Ethan was asleep. </p><p>He plugged his phone in to charge and stripped down to his underwear, crawling into bed. Despite his exhaustion, for a split second, he thought of getting into the driver's seat and leaving right then. Navigating the road in a way he couldn't do in his own stupid life. </p><p>Instead, he thought about Mormons. The old Mormons. The bigamist Mormons. He wondered if Ethan's fascination with them had anything to do with their current situation. It certainly felt like he and Kristina were sister wives, except he was the first one, the one that Ethan was tired of but kept around to cook dinner. </p><p>Grayson fell asleep with a bad taste in his mouth, and his last conscious thought: <em>I can't wait to get the fuck out of Utah</em>.</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Lamar, Colorado</h2></a>
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</p><p>Grayson pushed his cart down the toiletry aisle, loading up on deodorant, toothbrushes (Ethan had started switching his out every few days since the pandemic had started, to the bafflement of everyone) and sunscreen. </p><p>It had been a few days since Grayson's night of angst in Utah, the past 48 hours spent visiting every monument, park, and geologic wonder that southern Colorado had to offer. Experiencing new places and people with Ethan was one of his three main reasons for living, and he realized that despite his issues with Ethan's relationship, he was <em>happy</em>. And for now, he was just going to focus on that - maybe when they weren't stuck together in a van 24 hours a day, they could address some of the more thorny things in their lives.</p><p>Walmart at two in the morning was basically a post-apocalyptic hellscape, and Grayson tensed around every corner, expecting zombies to pop out from behind the endcaps. It was the only time of day that they could guarantee they wouldn't run into any fans and could do their shopping in peace. Even with masks on they were recognized constantly, and not even the threat of virus-induced death could keep six feet between them and their most ardent fans. </p><p>As Grayson approached the "family planning" section, he was really glad that was one of the five people in the entire store. They had not fooled around at all since Ethan's apology blowjob in the shower at the Bellagio (which seemed like <em>weeks</em> ago) and the amount of Grayson's brain space taken up by sex had gone up exponentially throughout the day. He picked up a bottle of lubricant and stared at it, wondering if 1) he'd ever be able to use it, and 2) if it was worth the inevitable conversation with Ethan.</p><p>He and Ethan were in a bit of a sexual stalemate, and had been for awhile. They had reached a point where the various "jobs" in their repertoire were pleasant, but not quite satisfying enough. The final frontier of their physical relationship could have basically been the actual moon, considering how impossible it seemed for them to negotiate it. </p><p>Both were enthusiastically willing to fuck, but not <em>be</em> fucked. Their friendship with James had left them with an unwanted, yet <em>encyclopedic</em>, knowledge of gay sex, but they were discovering that knowledge was not power. More like a curse.</p><p>Grayson knew that Ethan's internalized homophobia was mostly to blame for his reluctance, but he didn't have that particular hang-up. He wouldn't feel like any less of a man, regardless of his role. His concern was Ethan's ability to handle the situation like an adult. Well...as well as an adult could, considering that what they were doing was one of the biggest taboos on the planet. But someone had to make the first move, and if Grayson was going to be in contention for best sister wife, he had to give it up sometime.  </p><p>Despite his concerns, Grayson tossed the lube and some condoms (for <em>hygiene</em>, as Ethan  would say) into the cart. Right behind them was a douche kit, which Grayson handled like it was a hot potato. The mere thought of it was unsettling, but James had always driven one point home in his many monologues about homosexual intimacy: <em>don't be a douche, always douche</em>.</p><p>Thank God for self-check out. </p><p>When he returned to the van laden with bags, Ethan was curled into a little ball in the corner of the bed. He put away as much as he could (his sex contraband went straight into his duffel bag) and joined his twin in bed. Because of their late arrival to Lamar after an exhausting stretch of driving and sightseeing, they'd decided to sleep in the next day and hang around - maybe not in this particular Walmart parking lot, but somewhere. It had been Ethan's job to find something for them to do, and hopefully he'd been successful before he passed out. Grayson fell asleep in nervous anticipation for the next day - and the next night. </p><p>***</p><p>Ethan had not been successful.</p><p>Well, <em>he</em> thought he had been successful, but Grayson had to disagree.</p><p>"There's nothing there, E. And it's out of the way. Be reasonable here," Grayson argued. They were in another bland parking lot drinking surprisingly good coffee. </p><p>"We're not going to spend the rest of our lives there, idiot, it's just for the meme. How can we not see Two Butts?"</p><p>"Once again, it is pronounced <em>byoot</em>, but <em>buhtt</em>. And if you want to see two butts, we can just look at ourselves in the mirror. Find something for us to do in Lamar," Grayson pleaded. As usual, he'd been unable to sleep in - even exhaustion, which his coffee was not chipping away at, goddammit, couldn't fuck up his sleep cycle. He'd hoped when Ethan woke up he'd have a game plan, and he wouldn't have to use his brain. However, Ethan's habit of disappointing him on a daily basis was still very much present.</p><p>"I have a feeling about Two Buttes - like we were <em>meant</em> to visit. There's nature and shit there, we can look at flowers or birds or something. Just relax and enjoy the scenery. Look, I'll drive today and tomorrow if you want," Ethan said, holding up his hands in offering. "Do this for me. Please."</p><p>An hour later, they arrived in Two Buttes. </p><p>Despite his power nap, Grayson could barely keep his eyes open. Ethan, however, was filled with energy. Very annoying energy.</p><p>"We're here, Gray. Take my picture." Ethan thrust his phone into Grayson's face and hopped out of the van, jogging to the large sign that read <em>Two Buttes State Wildlife Area</em>. They'd already taken a picture in front of the "official" Two Buttes welcome sign. </p><p>Once Ethan had approved a photo, he corralled Grayson back into the van, looking from his phone to the road every five seconds to make sure he was going the right direction. Grayson didn't even care if he flipped the van again - he was so tired, death by the side of the road actually seemed kind of nice.</p><p>"Aha!" Ethan said, pulling into a small parking area. He turned off the van and pointed at the mass of red-orange cliffs just ahead. "Black Hole. People come here all the time for cliff jumping."</p><p>Ethan's grin was so wide that Grayson couldn't help but perk up a bit. </p><p>Bathing suits on, they ventured towards the water and the infamous cliffs, Ethan picking out the tallest one straight away. In true Ethan fashion, he didn't even pause for a second before reaching the edge and back flipping into the water, screaming in delight the whole time. </p><p>"C'mon! What are you waiting for, you sleepy fuck?" Ethan called out when he surfaced. "The water will wake you up. It's awesome."</p><p>Grayson looked around. They were totally alone. If they got hurt, they were shit out of luck. Ethan didn't think about those things, but he certainly did. But Ethan had survived, so...what the hell?</p><p>He jumped into the water, the fall totally exhilarating. The water was warm, much warmer than Lloyds Lake. They'd jumped off much higher cliffs than this, but there was still adrenaline, a youthful, pure excitement that they were always chasing but didn't always catch. </p><p>"I told you Two Buttes was fun," Ethan said, shoving Grayson lightly on the shoulder. Grayson shoved back and then started swimming, challenging Ethan to a race. Despite Grayson's superior strength, Ethan's body was just better built for swimming, and he won easily. Grayson knew he would.</p><p>After Ethan finished gloating, he stayed submerged in the shallow water by the shore, spinning around in a slow circle to take in everything. </p><p>"I can't believe we're the only ones here. It's so nice out today." Ethan shrugged before giving Grayson a look he'd come to know very well. "Guess we're just lucky."</p><p>Ethan took his hand and tugged, and Grayson followed him until they reached a little cubby in the cliffs, not visible from shore, the layers of rock providing foot holds in the water.</p><p>Kissing Ethan was very easy. As much as they emphasized that they were individual people, with their own lives and interests, at the end of the day, they were literally one thing, split into two. They fit seamlessly together in a way that they wouldn't with any other person on the planet. Not Kristina. Not anyone. </p><p> </p>
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